TelecomView is tracking the market for technology and services that use broadband wireless in fixed and mobile applications. What is happening in the market? Which standards will succeed and why? How will WiMAX, WCDMA, LTE and CDMA compete with or complement each other? How will operators use the various broadband mobile wireless technologies to compete?

Monday, December 18, 2006

The German WiMAX licence auction ended on 15 December after 35 bidding rounds in three days with total bids amounting to EUR 56.07 million, reports German telecommunications regulator BNA. Three operators have acquired a licence in all 28 regions: Luxembourg-based Clearwire Europe, German regional WiMAX operator DBD and German operator Inquam Broadband. German ISP Televersa Online acquired licence packages in two regions, while Italy-based MGM Productions Group acquire a licence package in one region. German regional telecoms operator Ewe Tel dropped out of the auction on 13 December, because the bids for regional WiMAX licences in the north of Germany passed their economical viable targets. Clearwire paid the most for its 28 WiMAX licences almost EUR 20 million, followed by Inquam that paid around EUR 18 million and DBD with EUR 16.5 million. MGM paid EUR 1.2 million for its only licence and Televersa paid EUR 342,000 for its two licences.

DBD directly announced that it will start to roll-out WiMAX networks from the beginning of 2007, complementing its current regional WiMAX networks and plans to provide WiMAX services in the whole of Germany within a few years. The company plans to invest almost EUR 1 billion in the roll-out.